The Truth
by CastielleNovak12
Summary: A girl is about to make a decision she can't come back from. In order to stop her, Roy will have to face something he's been to scared to acknowledge in years: the truth. (Now a series of one-shots involving Team Arrow. Rated T for talk of child abuse and talk of suicidal intentions/thoughts and other mature themes)
1. Roy

Roy tore up the stairwell, feet barely having time to touch the ground as he shot upward. "You guys don't have much time," Felicity was saying in his comm, "She's on the roof, she's about to jump."

"If that girl doesn't testify or give a statement the police will have to release Jackson in twenty-four hours," Oliver said, "Arsenal, I'm five minutes out. You need to stop her before I get there."

"I know," Roy breathed.

The Arrow Team had been tracking Andrew Jackson, a resident criminal in Starling. He had been dealing drugs out to kids, stocking high schoolers up with all sorts of crap. The police had suspected him of robbery and petty theft, but they had never been able to get charges that stuck. The only witness they had was Jackson's girlfriend, a terrified abused girl who was the only way they'd be able to convict Jackson.

The door was in sight now and he ran up, exiting quickly and quietly. The girl looked up, her blue eyes swimming with tears. Her eyes were getting red from crying and she swallowed hard.

"What- what are you doing here?" She asked, voice breaking a little.

Roy took a cautious step forward, and the girl backed away towards the edge.

"I'll jump," she treatened. "I'll do it, I will."

"Roy," Oliver warned.

"I know," Roy told her, cautiously taking a step forward. Relieved when she didn't react, he continued gently, "You don't have to do this, you know. Life sucks, I know, but it'll get better."

"Really?" A hysterical laugh came from the girl, her voice faint and trembly as she continued, "That's what you know, is it? I'm just some stupid girl who can't deal with the weight of life's problems, so I'm taking the easy way out. Well, that's not me." Another hysterical laugh, and then she met Roy's gaze. Her eyes were filled with agony, and her voice was raw as she finished, "That's not me."

There was a pause and Roy took another cautious step forward. There was still about three feet of space between them, and he knew he wouldn't have time to catch her if she jumped now. By the time he fired an arrow it would be to late, and he was out of grappling arrows. His only option was to stall and talk her down.

"Do you know what it's like," she said, breaking Roy out of his thoughts, "When a man in bearing down on you and he just keeps hitting you and hitting you and he won't _stop_."

Her voice shook as she spook and cracked at the last word.

"Roy, you need to get her down from there," Felicity was saying, and Oliver was telling him that he was still three minutes out but Roy couldn't hear them.

He swallowed hard, trying to get himself to focus, assaulted by violent memories of booming voices and rough hands.

He stepped forward twice, the only way he was going to get her down was if told her but the team would would hear and oh, gosh... Roy shoved his tumultuous thoughts away as he spoke up, heart pounding.

"Yeah, I do." He said softly.

The girl faltered, looking at Roy as if she was seeing him for the first time. She probably hadn't been paying attention to him much at that point, until he had said something that caught her off guard. The silent tension on the comms was blunt, and Roy stepped forward again. His head was spinning, they were never going to look at him the same way after this...

"My dad used to hit me," he could hear himself saying, and the words were pouring out like a dam had burst, "when I was a kid. All the time, he was drunk and angry that Mom left and I was an easy target. He started beating me when I was eight and he never stopped."

Roy registered the shock, pity, sadness, and empathy that crossed the girl's features, and everything in between.

He heard Felicity's horrified, "Roy..." but ignored it, pushing on.

"He would go into these fits of rage and he'd just keep _hitting_ and _hitting_ ," Roy faltered, closing his eyes as he exhaled shakily.

This time it was Oliver who said, "Roy..." but apparently no one felt like elaborating on his name.

"I still don't know how I feel about that." He said softly.

The girl's head tilted upward slightly, he had her full attention now. And not just the dazed, depressed state she had been in earlier.

"I understand how hard it is to pick yourself up after that, but you can do it," Roy told her. "I'm not saying it will be easy, but life's worth it."

"Oh, and your just the picture of mental health," She shot back, "At least I don't dress up in a red hood and run around putting arrows in people."

Roy countered, "I'm not the one about to jump off the edge of a building."

"You don't understand what he'll do to me," she pleaded.

"He won't. I won't let him. If you testify, he's going away for good. He'll never hurt anyone again." Roy paused, and added, "He's not going to stop, you know. Hurting people, I mean. If you die he'll keep hurting other, maybe even another girl who knows that he's sometimes a nice guy and thinks she can change him."

"I guess I wasn't strong enough," she said hoarsely.

"He's a bad guy. Some people you can't change, no matter how hard you try." Roy told her, searching for words. "Come down from there. Please."

"And if he comes after me?"

"I'll put an arrow in him before he reaches you. You'll be safe. I promise."

There was a long silence and Emily Milton came down.

When Oliver got there shortly after, Roy didn't meet his gaze as his mentor told him to head back to the cave. He did what he was told and barely said a word as Oliver headed off with Emily to the police station.

* * *

Roy took the long way back to the Cave, trying to stall as long as possible. He had briefly considered not going back at all, but he knew the Team could track him down pretty easily. Besides, he couldn't head home as Arsenal, he'd have to take the suit back eventually. So Roy steeled his nerves and headed to the Cave.

Roy slowly made his way down the steps, dreading their reaction as he entered. They were all waiting for him as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Felicity was watching from her chair, Diggle was leaning against the table, and Oliver was standing by Felicity.

"Roy," Diggle startled.

"I don't want to take about it," Roy reiterated harshly as he moved forward, hanging up his bow. His back was to them, he closed his eyes. He didn't think he could bare to _look_ at them...

"Roy," Oliver said softly. "I'm sorry."

And suddenly Roy was fighting back tears. He didn't do crying.

"You didn't deserve that. No one does. Not Emily, not... you."

"It doesn't matter." Roy said hoarsely.

"Yes, it does." Felicity cut in. "Roy, you're our friend, our family. What your father did was not okay. It matters to us, and even if you act like it doesn't, it does to you too."

"Roy, I know how hard it can be to admit when you need help." Diggle added. "But the truth is, if you never accept help you won't be able to pick yourself up."

Roy opened his eyes and turned to face the team. He could feel his eyes watering but he refused to cry in front of the team. Wordlessly, Felicity took two sharp steps and pulled Roy into a hug.

Roy started at first, before returning the hug. As Felicity stepped back, she gazed at Roy in obvious concern. He swiped away at his eyes, exhaling shakily.

"You didn't deserve it," Felicity told him. "Whatever lies he told, however he got into your head, you never deserved it."

The forcefulness of her words caught him off guard. The words caught in his throat so he nodded instead.

"Roy, I've trusted you with my quest, my life, my sister. And I want you to know if you ever want to... talk, I'm here." Oliver told him, and he locked gazes with Roy.

"It's okay to cry, you know."

It was only six words, but suddenly Roy couldn't stop the tears from flooding down his cheeks. He could feel Felicity pulling him into another hug, murmuring softly to him and Oliver and Diggle were at his side, their presence washing over them in a wave of comfort.

And Roy realized even with how far he had fallen, his real family would be there to hold him up.


	2. Felicity

Felicity spun around in her chair, typing furiously at her computers. She watched as Roy's signal closed in towards the girl, but Oliver was still a ways out.

"You guys don't have much time," Felicity told them, "She's on the roof, she's about to jump."

"If that girl doesn't testify or give a statement the police will have to release Jackson in twenty-four hours," Oliver's voice came through the comms, "Arsenal, I'm five minutes out. You need to stop her before I get there."

"I know," Roy said.

Felicity knew that if they didn't get Emily to testify, the douche Andrew Jackson would get away. The police had suspected him of for prior crimes, but they had never been able to get charges that stuck.

Roy made it through the door.

"What- what are you doing here?" Felicity could hear the girl's voice tremble.

There was a pause, then, "I'll jump. I'll do it, I will."

"Roy," Oliver warned.

"I know," Roy said, cautious, "You don't have to do this, you know. Life sucks, I know, but it'll get better."

"Really?" There was a hysterical laugh, Felicity could feel her heart in her throat, "That's what you know, is it? I'm just some stupid girl who can't deal with the weight of life's problems, so I'm taking the easy way out. Well, that's not me." Another hysterical laugh, "That's not me."

Felicity felt another wave of sympathy for the poor girl. She had been stuck in a horrible situation, and she could do is pray that Roy could talk her down in time.

"Do you know what it's like when a man in bearing down on you and he just keeps hitting you and hitting you and he won't _stop_."

"Roy, you need to get her down from there," Felicity finally spoke up, hoping no one noticed how shaky her voice was.

"I'm still three minutes out, Roy, you can't let her jump." Oliver ordered.

There was a long a pause, and Felicity for a horrible, fleeting moment thought the girl might be gone. "Yeah, I do." Roy's voice came through the comm.

Felicity stopped short. No, not Roy-

"My dad used to hit me," Roy was saying, "when I was a kid. All the time, he was drunk and angry that Mom left and I was an easy target. He started beating me when I was eight and he never stopped."

Felicity felt a horrified, "Roy…" pass through her lips.

Roy didn't stop. "He would go into these fits of rage and he'd just keep _hitting_ and _hitting_." Roy's voice faltered out.

She could hear Oliver's "Roy..." but she was still in shock. How hadn't they known?

"I still don't know how I feel about that."

Felicity did. She was hit by a sudden fury. How dare that man hurt her friend? She knew if Roy's father wasn't dead already she would have torn his entire world about, bit by bit, draining his bank account, blocking cell signals, and making it impossible for him to be even in the state next to Roy.

"I understand how hard it is to pick yourself up after that, but you can do it. I'm not saying it will be easy, but life's worth it."

He shouldn't have had to do that alone, Felicity thought miserably.

"Oh, and your just the picture of mental health. At least I don't dress up in a red hood and run around putting arrows in people."

Roy countered, "I'm not the one about to jump off the edge of a building."

"You don't understand what he'll do to me," the girl pleaded.

"He won't. I won't let him. If you testify, he's going away for good. He'll never hurt anyone again. He's not going to stop, you know. Hurting people, I mean. If you die he'll keep hurting other, maybe even another girl who knows that he's sometimes a nice guy and thinks she can change him."

"I guess I wasn't strong enough."

You were, both of you were, Felicity thought. You were stronger than any of us could imagine.

"He's a bad guy. Some people you can't change, no matter how hard you try. Come down from there. Please."

"And if he comes after me?" The girl asked.

"I'll put an arrow in him before he reaches you. You'll be safe. I promise."

There was a long silence and Felicity exhaled shakily in relief when Oliver informed her Emily had come down. She knew whatever had happened, things were a long way from over.

Oliver and Diggle arrived about seven minutes later. Oliver met her gaze.

"Roy not here yet?"

"No," Felicity said softly.

There was a long silence. Diggle leaned against the table, arms crossed.

Felicity spoke, "How could we not have known?"  
"He wouldn't have wanted us to know." Oliver said.

"He's our friend." Felicity protested. "We should have known, done _something_."  
"We will. Now that we know we'll do everything we can to help him back up." Diggle told her.

That's when the door to the Cave opened. They all turned and waited for Roy as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Felicity watched from her chair, and she could notice how he didn't meet any of their eyes.

"Roy," Diggle started.

"I don't want to take about it," Roy said harshly, but Felicity could tell his voice was trembling slightly as he moved forward, hanging up his bow. His back was to them now.

"Roy," Oliver said softly. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. No one does. Not Emily, not... you."

"It doesn't matter." Roy's voice was hoarse.

"Yes, it does." Felicity spoke up, her heart aching for Roy. "Roy, you're our friend, our family. What your father did was not okay. It matters to us, and even if you act like it doesn't, it does to you too."

"Roy, I know how hard it can be to admit when you need help." Diggle chimed in. "But the truth is, if you never accept help you won't be able to pick yourself up."

Roy turned to face them, and Felicity was startled to see he was blinking back tears. Wordlessly, Felicity stood and took two sharp steps before pulling Roy into a hug.

She could feel him start at first, before he returned the hug. As Felicity stepped back, she look at Roy in concern. He swiped away at his eyes, exhaling shakily.

"You didn't deserve it," Felicity told him vehemently. "Whatever lies he told, however he got into your head, you never deserved it."

Roy nodded in response, seeming unable to get the words out.

"Roy, I've trusted you with my quest, my life, my sister. And I want you to know if you ever want to... talk, I'm here." Oliver told him, and he locked gazes with Roy. "It's okay to cry, you know."

That was when Roy fell apart. Felicity pulled him into another hug, murmuring softly to him as he cried. She could feel Oliver and Diggle make their ways over, surrounding Roy.

And Felicity wondered when they had become a family instead of just a team.


	3. Oliver

_**Sorry, this one's really short, but I'm planning a longer one soon. I'm going to try and update this at least once every week, maybe twice.**_

* * *

When Roy woke up, the last thing he expected to find was Oliver Queen sitting a few feet away. Frankly, Roy had been exhausted from the night before, and now he found that was on the couch in the Arrow Cave. Roy jumped slightly as noticed Oliver, and he looked up.

"Hey, Roy," Oliver greeted. "You, uh, fell asleep after... everything last night. Thought you might appreciate somewhere more comfortable."  
Roy sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks."

Oliver smiled slightly, but didn't reply. Roy felt his skin crawl as he tried to ignore the feeling of Oliver scrutinizing him.

"You know, when I was on the island," Oliver said particularly, "I was taken aboard a ship called the Amazo. I was shot, and they only gave me basic supplies. I got to choose if I would dig the bullet out and stitch it up, or die."

"I'm sorry," Roy told Oliver.

"Don't be," Oliver said. "It's not your fault. The point is- do you think I'm weak?"  
"What?" Roy asked in shock.

"Do you think I'm weak?" Oliver repeated.

"No," Roy answered immediately, shocked at the idea of Oliver ever being considered weak.

Maybe the press considered him the playboy drunkard, but Roy knew quite the opposite was true. Oliver was probably the strongest man that Roy had ever met.

"I think you expect us to believe you're weak for what you went through. You know we'll look at you differently now, but Roy, we don't think that. Just like that island made stronger, what you've gone through has made you stronger too. You never deserved it Roy, and you may not believe that now. Someday we'll help you see the truth."  
There was a pause as Roy gazed down at his coffee.

"You didn't deserve it either."

The words caught Oliver off guard, but he gave a pained smile.

"I wasn't a good man, then, Roy."  
"You weren't a bad one, though." Roy told him. "And maybe someday you'll realize that you didn't deserve that either."

Oliver met Roy's gaze and there was a moment of silence where Roy got the oddest feeling the Oliver could see his soul. They finally broke eye contact, and Roy found himself biting back a sigh of relief.

"My offer still stands, Roy," Oliver said softly, "you ever want to talk, I'm here."

Roy found that he was trying not to cry again. Blinking away the tears, he nodded instead.

"Thanks."

He didn't know when he'd be ready to talk about it, if ever. But he couldn't stop the sudden desire to tell someone everything. After a pause, Oliver stood.

He offered, "Well, I was going to head out to the city if you want to join me for breakfast."  
"I'd like that."


	4. Diggle

Diggle had seen a lot in his life. In Afghanistan, he'd seen many things he'd rather he hadn't. He'd become a better man for it, he hoped. Despite all this, he'd never dealt much with child abuse. When he first heard Roy on the other end of the line, he was hit by a sudden fury. He had no idea how anyone could bring themselves to harm their child. They were so pure, and innocent. He had fought in a war so that people would be safe, not so unspeakable things could happen behind closed doors. It was wrong, and it was cruel, and he knew that no one deserved it.

Roy didn't deserve it. If only they could get the kid to believe that. Diggle had met soldiers who had been hurt in the line of duty who were so screwed in the head they thought it was their own fault, that they deserved or they hadn't done enough. The truth was you couldn't control everything that happened in life. You just had to do the best with what you were given.

Digg hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Roy since that night. He noticed that Oliver and Roy had become closer, and he reflected that they'd probably talked. Diggle didn't want to push. Roy deserved that much, so he waited for his time. It turned out that he didn't have to wait that long.

Felicity's heels clicked on the floor as she headed towards the stairs, leaving Diggle and Roy alone in the cave waiting for Oliver to get back.

"You holding up?" Diggle asked Roy.

"Yeah, fine," Roy responded instantly.

Diggle's lips twitched in amusement for the briefest moment. "We all meant what we said that night in the cave, you know."

Roy stiffened slightly. There was no need to specify which night he was referring to.

"I know." Roy said.

"Just because you know doesn't mean you believe it. I just want to make sure you understand that we're all here for you if you need us."

"I don't know if I deserve that kind of devotion," Roy admitted.

"Yes, you do. Oliver, Felicity, and I already know it. And we'll stand by you through thick and thin until you realize that too."

Diggle could see the flicker of indecision on the kid's face as he struggled to come to terms with it. Roy wanted it to be true, but at the same time he was telling himself it couldn't.

"Thanks," Roy settled on finally, and Diggle nodded.

"We're with you to the end of the line, Roy."

"Same to you," Roy told him, and Diggle smiled at the sentiment.

They both looked up as Oliver entered the cave. He hesitated.

"Am I interrupting something?"  
"No," Roy told him. "You're fine."  
Oliver hung up his bow.

"Want to head out for dinner, Roy?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah," Roy said, "Hey, can Diggle come too?"

Diggle could see the question surprised Oliver, which in itself was surprising. Not many things could catch the vigilante off guard.

"Sure," Oliver agreed.

So the three men headed out to Big Belly Burger for dinner. (Which of course, Diggle was extremely pleased with.)


End file.
